NEW ORLEANS — It should have been a routine chip shot for Saints playoff hero Garrett Hartley, a 29-yard field goal in overtime to keep New Orleans unbeaten.

Somehow, the same kicker who set a Super Bowl record with three field goals longer than 40 yards hooked it wide left from the right hash mark. Minutes later, the defending champions’ charmed run ended — and Falcons players stormed the Superdome field in celebration — when Matt Bryant drilled a 46-yard field goal with 1:55 left in the extra period to lift the Atlanta Falcons to a 27-24 victory Sunday.

Atlanta would have won in regulation if not for Hartley’s tying 32-yard field goal with four seconds left in regulation.

The Falcons won the coin toss and received to start overtime, but the Saints held, setting the stage for reigning Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees to lead New Orleans to another dramatic win.

Brees drove the Saints to the Atlanta 11-yard line. Resigned to defeat as he watched from the sideline, Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez took off his receivers’ gloves. Then Hartley hooked an ugly kick to the left for his third miss this season.

“I was absolutely stunned,” Gonzalez said. “I thought for sure the game was over.”

Even longtime public address announcer Jerry Romig let his typical “It’s good!” refrain slip out just as officials began waving their arms sideways and cheers faded to groans in the Superdome.

“It’s not just about missing the field goal at the end,” Brees said. “There were a lot of things prior to that.”

The game was a back-and-forth thriller that one would expect from longtime rivals who appear to be the best teams in the NFC South. There were four lead changes amid bizarre blunders and big plays.

Matt Ryan passed for 228 yards and touchdowns of 13 yards to Gonzalez and 22 yards to Roddy White to give the Falcons (2-1) their second straight win.

Gonzalez wound up being Ryan’s top target with eight catches for 110 yards.

“I am so proud of how we converted (nine) third downs,” Ryan said. “That was a huge factor throughout the game.”

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